Tuesday, March 25, 2008

More On Idolatry

One school of idolatry goes on to argue, “But the Torah has many Names of G-d, and all we are doing is personifying those many names.” This is their disastrous mistake, and this leads them to invent those many deities that they make. Each of these is a little god that they invent to represent some type of power or spirit that they worship. Even though they admit that they have many little deities, they say that since each of these deities represents one of the powers of the one overall G-d, they are still worshiping the one G-d. This is idolatry.

Another brand of idolatry teaches that the Torah talks of Elokim (G-d as Creator) and this name ends in a plural ending. So what is wrong with their plural deities? What is wrong with them saying that G-d is three, or has different levels, or activities?

Before there was any creation, there was only G-d with no manifestation whatsoever. At this stage, there was only the Name of G-d that signifies Existence, “Hashem.” At this stage, all was only the one “simple” Existence, with not even the slightest thought of multiplicity.

Then, when Hashem chose to create, He did so as Elokim (the Name of G-d as the Creator). At this stage of existence, creation came into being, and with it came multiplicity. Since G-d is still Existence, even after the creation has come into being, He is still all, including the multiple creation. This is why this Name has a multiple ending.

Elokim is the one all, but this Name of the all now appears multiple in manifestation. This is similar to the Hebrew word for water (mayim) that has an apparently plural ending, but still the water is singular. There is one ocean, yet the water within it appears multiple.

The word face in Hebrew (panim) has a plural ending because of the many faces that a person makes. But, even with all of the faces that he makes, still, he has only one face. The faces themselves are not making those faces. The person is making those faces. You cannot call the faces, the person.

Somewhat similar to this, the creation also has many faces, but they are all faces of the One.